Reflections on “Hot” Blind Spots: Lessons from Research on Aging Macula Disorder and Glaucoma

Abstract

The Association for Research in Ophthalmology (ARO) was founded in 1928 by Conrad Berens, (Fig. 1) a New York ophthalmologist, to strengthen the scientific basis of ophthalmology. Initially, only clinicians with some scientific expertise attended the half-day meetings that were paired with the American Academy conventions. The fledgling ARO became more viable in the years after World War II which, despite its terrible consequences, spurred the development of visual sciences. In 1970, ARO changed to the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and thus ARVO seems to be, with 83 years, in the same age range in which the disorders that I am going to discuss have their highest incidence. What would Conrad Berens think of this ARVO meeting? Would he be impressed by its 13 scientific sections and its nearly 7000 abstracts or puzzled by the overlap in posters on certain topics as observed from these abstracts? He might be pleased by the fact that 44% of the 6000 ARVO members are non-MDs or be disappointed because only 2.3% of all ophthalmologists world-wide are members of ARVO. Would he get the impression that for some, vision research seems a goal in itself, instead of a search for better cures for eye disorders? Would he consider the recent separation of the Visual Section from ARVO’s main meeting a bright idea or the sequelae of blind spots in its board members? In this lecture, I will describe my transformation, perhaps somewhat similar to that of Berens’, from pure clinician to clinical researcher in ophthalmology, a field that has undergone a striking metamorphosis over the past 40 years. I will deal more at length with aging macula disorder (AMD) and open-angle glaucoma (OAG). I will analyze what might bewilder Berens about our ophthalmology advancements and will conclude my reflections by mentioning some human interactions and scientific factors that may influence progress in vision research.